FIFA ranking: Iran fourth in Asia and WCQ top seed

PFDC – ZURICH, Iran dropped four spots down to rank 54 in the latest FIFA ranking, however, defended the fourth spot in the AFC and therefore will be top seed in the 2014 World Cup qualification draw on Saturday.

In May, the FIFA executive commitee had decided that the rankig and seeding of Asian teams during the third round of qualification will be determined by the July 2011 FIFA rankings.

Iran – like Japan, Australia, Korea Republic and China – will therefore head one of the five groups of four teams which, from September 2, will battle for the ten spots in the fourth and final round of qualification.

Persian Gulf rivals Saudi Arabia will be placed in pot 2 alongside Uzbekistan, Qatar, Jordan and Kuwait.

World Cup 2010 playoff losers Bahrain will be in pot 3 while World Cup participants Korea DPR will only be in pot 4.

Iran will meet the Maldives in Male on Thursday (20:30 Tehran time) in the second leg of the World Cup qualification second round playoff after having won the first leg in Tehran 4-0 on Saturday.